This invention pertains to a tape drive apparatus, and more particularly, to such an apparatus which is especially adapted for use in a telephone answering device and like equipment.
In a conventional telephone answering device, two different recording tapes are used. One of these tapes is referred to generally as an announcement tape, and the other as a message tape. The announcement tape is usually a relatively short tape on which the owner of an answering device records a message which he wishes to have played out to a calling party. The message tape is generally a considerably longer tape onto which a calling party is invited to record a message.
Inasmuch as an answering device is used, normally, unattended, it is desirable that it be capable of performing its intended functions as reliably as possible. Further, since more and more people have found the desirability of having their telephones, in their absences, attended, so-to-speak, it is further desirable to make such equipment available in as inexpensive a form as possible.
In achieving these two objectives it is, of course, important to minimize as much as possible the complexity of an answering device.
A general object of the present invention is to provide a unique tape drive apparatus usable in a telephone answering device, and the like, which takes the above-mentioned considerations into account in a practical and satisfactory manner.
Proposed according to the present invention is a tape drive apparatus in which a pair of support mechanisms for two different recording tapes are mounted on a main deck. These two support mechanisms are for carrying tapes, such as an announcement tape and a message tape of the type referred to above. Drive for tapes which are supported by these mechanisms is provided by a pair of rotary drive spindles that are carried on a floating subdeck which is mounted for limited pivoting and translating relative to the main deck. Mechanism, including a pair of solenoids, and a hand-operated linkage, is provided for shifting the subdeck to different selected positions wherein the drive spindles selectively engage tires on rotary elements which form parts of the tape support mechanisms, thus selectively to drive the tapes supported by the tape support mechanisms.
Apparatus of this type is, in numerous ways, considerably simpler than many kinds of tape drive apparatus which are now available commercially. Reliability has been found to be extremely high.